Island Time

Jason Logan

Jason Logan

BitsDoesn’t it feel like FedEx St. Jude Classic winner Dustin Johnson is simply going to saunter straight from TPC Southwind to Shinnecock Hills and pick up right where he left off last week? Nobody makes dominating look easier these days than DJ ×× I’m going with Jason Day at the U.S. Open though. Gut feeling. He’s playing well and due for another major ×× Dark horse? Trey Mullinax. The PGA Tour’s driving distance leader rolls the rock decently too (41st in Strokes Gained – Putting). Plus, he was in the top 10 at the U.S. Open last year at Erin Hills and is coming off a T6 in Memphis ×× Shinnecock is top five on the bucket list. Jealous of anyone who has teed it up there ×× Funny (to me) anecdote from playing Victoria Golf Club last week: I asked one of the junior members in the group behind me what the bathroom code was. After giving me the four numbers he said, “And then the hashtag symbol.” Poor pound key — future generations will never know of its existence ×× Opinion: the Golf Channel’s app is way better than the PGA Tour app.

BitesReally hope Alexander Ovechkin shows up at Shinnecock with the Stanley Cup ×× I’m not sure there is a more beloved player in the history of Golf Canada’s national program than NHL referee/U.S. Open qualifier Garrett Rank. Everybody — coaches, administrators, his peers — rave about Rank, who was a mentor to everyone on the team during his extended stay on it. He could rightly be playing professional golf by now — maybe even on the PGA Tour had things really gone his way — but chose to pursue his dream of blowing whistles in the NHL and playing big-time amateur and invitational events in the summer. And really, who could blame him? Oh, he also kicked the crap out of cancer. What a story he is ×× Speaking of good stories, if you haven’t picked up a copy of SCOREGolf’s May-June Issue, you can read it online here ×× You know who is having a quietly decent season? Brittany Marchand. The third-year pro, who has conditional LPGA Tour status this season, is five-for-five in cuts made on the top women’s tour. And though all of her finishes have been between 30th and 60th, she’s gaining valuable experience playing against the world’s best ×× Enjoyed watching some of the European Tour’s Shot Clock Masters, but the idea of a timer seems gimmicky and unnecessary when it should be so easy (because it is) to play competitive golf with a wherewithal for pace. And that’s all that anyone should ask. It’s not about playing extremely fast, it’s about not playing deathly slow. Also, will those same players who abided by the 40-second rule in Austria do so the next tournament when the clock is off of them? And if not, why not?

Barbs
Last week was my first trip to Vancouver Island, where we filmed an episode of SCOREGolf TV from several courses on the Vancouver Island Golf Trail, including Bear Mountain, Olympic View, Crown Isle and Storey Creek, and interviewed members of Team Canada’s national amateur team and young pro squad at Bear Mountain, the national program’s official training centre. Quite a spot that Bear Mountain, its 36 holes and entire property a beehive of activity. In addition to its Golf Canada affiliation, it has one with Tennis BC and Tennis Canada too, with a massive indoor-outdoor clay tennis court centre under construction. The PGA of BC Assistants’ and Seniors’ championships were taking place while we were there, plus the Team Canada media day tournament and a slew of public golfers. “All the rides are open,” was how one pro described the sprawling resort. We had time for just a few holes on Bear Mountain’s Valley Course, but played a full round at Storey Creek and, upon touching down, Victoria Golf Club on invitation. What contrasting but cool courses those two tracks are. First, Victoria GC, a private club, makes for one of the most fun rounds of golf in the country. It had long been No. 1 on my hit list of places to play in Canada and I’m thrilled to have knocked it off. Just 6,100 yards from the back tees, it is full value for its scenery (many of the front nine-holes play right on the ocean), quirkiness and conditioning. The greens were firm and fast and they weren’t even cut that day. I loved the double fairways, some separated by a few clumps of trees and others separated by nothing at all (making playing on the third hole a little hair-raising with its fairway being the bailout area for those hitting tee shots on the opposite-direction fourth), the abundance of short grass, and the nearly completed bunker restoration by A.V. Macan expert Jeff Mingay, which is top notch. Up Island in Campbell River, Storey Creek — topping out at $72. 50, it’s one of the best values in Canada — was completely different. “A course in nature” is how it bills itself and that is an apt description. Carved through forest, Storey Creek features a number of very strong holes, a couple of strange ones and a fantastic three-hole closing stretch. All of them secluded so that you’ll rarely see another group. More than anything, there is a tremendous amount of pride within Campbell River for the course, which exudes a refreshing air of unpretentiousness. To wit, half of the golfers I saw were wearing jeans. Designed by Les Furber, it really was built by the community and the course’s founding members are suitably honoured. A couple regulars I spoke to expressed how lucky they feel to have a spot like Storey Creek in their tiny town. But don’t take my word for it: Here’s a 2014 course review by Comox, B.C., native Riley Wheeldon, a Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada player with a keen sense for golf course architecture. Wheeldon is spot-on in his assessment, especially that second-last paragraph so take the time to read him. Just like Victoria GC, but of course open to anybody and everybody, Storey Creek is a really neat experience. If you’re after a golden look on your skin after a few rounds, this is the place to be. Alternatively, you can supplement with tanning tablets that actually work to achieve that sunkissed finish faster.

Obscure thought of the week:Parts Unknown has been my favourite show on television since its inception. RIP Anthony Bourdain.

Jason Logan

LOGAN'S ALLEY

Jason Logan is the editor of SCOREGolf Magazine and the co-host of SCOREGolf TV.

Alistair Davies
June 13, 2018 at 4:45 pm

Regarding Victoria Golf Club, I always like to point out that our shared fairways at 3 and 4, playing in opposite directions, are much like the 1st and the18th at St. Andrews Old Course. I christened ours Piccadilly Circus when I first saw them. A bit hair raising, but remarkably organized. It’s like an intersection without lights or stop signs – players are very careful.!